Why Do We Light Two Candles at the Beginning of Shabbat?
The traditional practice is to light two candles on Shabbat.
On Shabbat, why is the challah covered with a decorative cloth?
There are two popular explanations for this custom.
Why is the Sabbath considered a day of rest?
The requirement that we rest on Shabbat is explained by the Torah according to two broad themes.
I am familiar with a Passover seder, but what is a Tu BiShvat seder?
Tu BiShvat (Hebrew for the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shvat) is the new year of the trees.
Can Jews Get Married on Shabbat?
For centuries, Jewish custom has prohibited marriages at specific dates and times during the Jewish year.
How Do Reform Jews Understand Tishah B’Av?
Why do we celebrate Tu BiShvat, the Jewish “New Year of the Trees,” in the middle of winter?
Tu BiShvat, called the "New Year of the Trees," falls at a seemingly incongruous time of year.
Why is caring for the environment emphasized on Tu BiShvat?
Tu BiShvat is a minor festival whose provenance dates only to the time of the Second Temple. However, the kabbalists who clustered around the great fifteenth-century mystic Isaac Luria of Safed placed great weight on the holiday, creating new festivities, gatherings at which hymns were sung, fruit (particularly carob) was eaten, and four cups of wine were taken (as in the Passover seder).
Which part of the Torah portion is chanted on Shabbat each week?
Is there a suggested part of the parashah to chant each week?
Why do Jewish Holidays Begin at Night?
On the Jewish calendar, holidays begin in the evening, at sundown, and they continue through the next day.